Wigan Album

At a guess Jim, I'd call it a longwall shearer, although it appears to be missing the actual shearer. I'll admit to knowing diddly about mining, but I've carted my share of those chocks out of Gullick's over the years. I also remember seeing them lined up like that just up from the gatehouse, I forget the year, but in my feeble memory, they were all set at different heights. Do I win the cigar?

I suspect Clarington Coach and Haulage had the contract to transport Gullick's equipment.

Hi, Ozymandias, you probably worked at Clarington Haulage, there is another photo showing the shearer. These Chocks were destined for Australia and given the name of the mine they were to be used in. The size and height is determined by the seam of coal to be extracted. Given the size and weight, you would only have been able to load one of these per wagon and there would be 150 in an average Installation. Half a Cigar?

I reckon that's fair Jim, half a longwall shearer warrants half a cigar. You're right about the weights of some the larger chocks. I think the ones that we used to run down to Southampton docks for shipment out to South Africa weighed in at around the 16 or 17 ton mark. As you say, it was only possible to carry one under normal regs. What would have been the weight of the ones in your photo Jim?, and what would each one of them have cost, any idea? a ballpark figure will suffice.

I still work there... Sort of - Now in a new place near Walkden. JoyGlobal/Komatsu Mining Corporation.
The ones in the photo would be about 30 Tonnes.
We've done some recently for Australia that weigh 65 Tonnes!

I suspect they weigh 30 Tonnes are more each. Most went to the docks by rail and then abroad not by HGVs, too heavy.

Ozy, We were never given the price of anything at Gullick's, which may not have been a bad thing, what I can say is that those chocks at the time were at the limit of our capabilities and cost enough in blood, sweat and tears, you can tell this by the state of the men's overall's lol. Paul, Keith Manser would know the name of this Installation, open day 1998. I'm presuming that you still work together.